Golem in Pompeii (Golem in Pompei) (translated)

Golem in Pompei is a French documentary film directed by Amos Gitai. It brings to the screen Gitai’s stage production Golem, performed in June 2025 among the ancient ruins of Pompeii, Italy. Set in medieval Europe, the play revolves around the legend of the Golem, a figure shaped from clay and brought to life in Jewish mystical tradition, drawing inspiration from Isaac Bashevis Singer’s children’s book of the same name; it opens with a quotation from an essay Virginia Woolf wrote during wartime.

Gitai blends documentary recording with fictional and dramatic scenes to connect history with contemporary life. The cast features performers with earlier ties to the director’s work, among them Irène Jacob. The film had its world premiere on 28 October 2025 in the international competition of the 38th Tokyo International Film Festival, where it vied for the Tokyo Grand Prix.